Self-monitoring of blood glucose levels, or other diagnostic tests, requires a user to extract a discrete volume of capillary blood (typically from the fingertip) and place the extracted blood on a disposable element for analysis. Accordingly, a lancing device is required to lance the user's finger to obtain the blood sample for testing.
Existing lancing devices include a lancet movably disposed in a housing. A firing mechanism strikes a rear end of the lancet, thereby imparting momentum to the lancet. The lancet travels through the housing such that a lancet stylet exits the housing and punctures a user's skin. When a lancet is not directly attached to the firing mechanism, the lancet is subject to increased wobble during travel as a result of being struck by the firing mechanism. Additionally, the impact of the firing mechanism can cause deformation of the lancet, thereby absorbing some of the energy and resulting in less momentum being transferred to the lancet. The wobble and loss of momentum adversely affect travel of the lancet during lancing, thereby resulting in unstable and non-smooth motion of the lancet. Accordingly, there is a need to reduce or eliminate wobble and loss of momentum in a lancet that is not directly attached to a firing mechanism.
Lancets are also difficult to remove from the housing after lancing. Lancets that are directly connected to the firing mechanism must be disconnected therefrom and the new lancet must be connected to the firing mechanism. Many housings must also be partially disassembled and then reassembled when removing and installing lancets. Furthermore, lancets are limited to being installed in a direction along an axis of the firing mechanism. Accordingly, a need exists for simple and safe installation and removal of lancets from lancing devices.